My brother’s company with the canary led to my and my mother’s death

Chapter 1

Last time, my brother, Ethan, took all his security to the outskirts of town to create a fake meteor shower for his gold-digging girlfriend, Tiffany.

Little did we know, someone Ethan had wronged in business saw this as an opportunity.

They broke into our house, intending to get revenge.

Mom shielded me, getting badly hurt.

I called Ethan again and again, begging him to come back.

He finally returned with his security.

But by then, it was too late.

Tiffany had left a note, her fate uncertain.

In it, she blamed me, saying I’d deliberately lured Ethan away so he’d suffer.

Ethan coldly burned her note, telling me not to overthink it.

Dad, blaming Ethan for the whole mess, promised me control of the family business.

But after the celebratory dinner, Ethan murdered me in cold blood in my bedroom.

Expressionless, he said, “You deserved to die. You’re so vicious.”

“You should be the one dead! The inheritance should be mine!”

I died with my eyes wide open, and when I woke up again, I heard the sound of the intruders breaking down the villa door.

The heavy iron door of the villa crashed open, pulling me back from the suffocating feeling of near-death.

I grabbed my panicked mother, who wanted to rush out to check, and pulled her into my bedroom.

Locking the door, I gasped for breath, and motioned for Mom to help me push the heavy mahogany wardrobe against the door.

“Lily, what are you doing? We have security, what are you afraid of?”

Mom looked at me, unable to hide the terror in her eyes.

She didn’t know that Ethan, for his precious Tiffany, had taken all the security with him.

“Mom, Ethan took all the security! We’re the only ones home!”

I gritted my teeth, pushing the wardrobe with all my might.

It groaned against the floor, leaving deep scratches.

Mom froze, unable to believe Ethan would do something so reckless.

The status of our family, the Woods, was significant.

Security was always a top priority. How could all the guards be gone?

But looking at my pale face, she couldn’t help but believe me.

“Quick! Call your brother, tell him to come back immediately!”

Mom urged, her voice trembling.

I didn’t speak, just stared at the door, barely held back by the wardrobe.

My shaking fingers dialed 911, quickly explaining the situation and our address.

I didn’t dare rely on Ethan for rescue. Last time, he came back too late.

Too late for Mom to get the medical help she desperately needed.

Hanging up, my heart sank.

Heavy snow had blocked the roads for days, and our house, a hillside villa, was quite a distance from the nearest police station.

I couldn’t bear to imagine what might happen before the police arrived.

“Bang!” The door rattled violently.

I instinctively braced myself against the wardrobe, fear washing over me.

Just then, Mom’s call to Ethan connected.

“Ethan, come back quickly! There are… intruders in the house!”

Mom’s voice was choked with sobs.

Ethan’s impatient voice came through the phone, “Mom, stop making things up. I’m still celebrating Tiffany’s birthday. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“I’m not lying! There really are intruders! Come back quickly, or you’ll be coming back to collect our bodies!”

Mom practically screamed.

Ethan’s voice grew colder, “I know you don’t like Tiffany, but you don’t have to make up lies to scare me.”

“And tell Lily, stop playing your little games. I won’t fall for it again.”

Hearing this, my heart turned to ice.

It seemed Ethan had also been reborn! But why did he think this was a lie?

Last time, he had witnessed firsthand how those thugs tortured Mom and me.

Why was he so indifferent this time?

Just because of that woman, Tiffany? Just because of her casual “Lily did it on purpose”?

Footsteps grew heavier outside the door.

The door was hit harder, and the wardrobe began to scrape against the floor.

We watched helplessly as our barricade slowly gave way, until—”Crack!”

A piece of wood splintered off the corner, exposing a large gap.

The man outside chuckled, “You’re here, after all.”

I stood in front of Mom, backing towards the bed.

Staring at the growing crack of light, the helplessness of being defenseless made my forehead slick with sweat.

Then, the door burst open, the wardrobe screeching against the floor.

A pair of dirty boots stepped inside.

“You thought barricading the door would save you? I don’t have the patience for this.”

The man grinned, his yellowish eyes scanning the room.

I froze, staring at the gleaming knife in his hand, the cold light reflecting off his grimy knuckles.

His gaze landed on me, greedy and disgusting, like a snake’s tongue flicking out.

“Not bad. Didn’t expect to find such a pretty little miss here.”

Mom screamed, “Don’t touch her!”

I clenched my jaw, suppressing the despair rising in my chest, and whispered to Mom, “Mom, no matter what happens, don’t interfere.”

“Back up, there’s a trampoline outside the window. Jumping should lessen the impact.”

“Then run to the Peterson’s next door, find Peter, and tell him to bring people to save me.”

The man with the knife was closing in. We were out of time.

I’d been tortured before; this time, I had to save Mom.

“Lily, how can I leave you behind!”

I squeezed Mom’s wrist.

“Listen to me, just jump, and then quickly go to the Peterson’s. As long as you’re alive, there’s still hope.”

Just then, the man pushed aside the wobbling wardrobe and lunged towards us.

“Mom, jump!” I shouted urgently.

But Mom, instead of jumping, lunged at the man.

She clung to his arms, trying to pull him back.

“Lily! Jump, run! Mom won’t let them catch you!”

Her voice was choked with sobs and determination.

“Mom!!”

I screamed, my heart shattering.

I watched helplessly as the knife, in the man’s raised hand, plunged into her back.

The flash of red seared into my mind, shattering all rational thought.

Mom gasped in pain, still clinging to the man’s waist, urging me, “Jump! Lily, jump! Don’t hesitate!”

Chapter 2

My blood ran cold, but the instinct to survive kicked in.

I couldn’t fight him head-on. I rushed to the window and jumped without hesitation.

Landing on the trampoline, I felt a sharp pain shoot up my leg as it bounced.

But there was no time to stop. I gritted my teeth, struggled to my feet, and ran towards the Peterson’s house next door.

I ignored the searing pain as my frostbitten feet, cut and bleeding, sank into the snow. I just kept running.

Though next door, their house was still a good half-mile away.

The icy air stung my throat, but I didn’t dare slow down.

Because I knew, from last time, there was more than one intruder!

When I finally collapsed at the Peterson’s iron gate, I pounded on it, screaming hoarsely, “Peter! Open the door, help! There are intruders in my house, save my mom!”

The iron gate creaked open, and Peter stood there, frowning.

He wore a warm wool coat, but his face was devoid of any warmth.

He looked down at me, kneeling in the snow, and slowly said, “Lily Woods, your acting has really improved lately.”

His tone was playful and mocking.

Blood pounded in my ears, my head swimming.

“Peter! I’m not playing around, this isn’t a joke! My mom’s life is in danger!”

“Please send someone with me to save my mom.”

He looked me up and down, taking in my battered state, and tsked, “If your brother hadn’t told me you’d be pulling some home invasion stunt because you’re jealous of Tiffany, I might actually believe you.”

I frantically explained, “Don’t listen to my brother, it’s real!”

“I’ve already called the police, but they haven’t arrived yet. Please, my mom was stabbed, she won’t last long!”

Last time, I didn’t know what those thugs did to Mom after they were done with me.

We fought back, both of us getting brutally hurt. I… and Mom ended up in a coma.

This time, I wouldn’t let Mom die because of me!

I showed Peter my phone with the 911 call log. He didn’t believe me.

Instead, he continued his sarcastic taunts. “Playing it big this time, huh? Even called the police?”

“Staging a home invasion? This act is so convincing, I almost bought it. I have to admire your tenacity.”

“Peter! Are you crazy?! It’s real!”

I roared, tears blurring my vision.

But my cries fell on deaf ears.

He turned to leave, but I grabbed his arm.

“Please! My mom really needs help! If you don’t go now, she might die, she really might die!”

He looked down at me, his eyes cold.

“Lily Woods, your brother specifically told me not to get involved, to let you play your games.”

His indifference cut through me.

Before Tiffany, Peter had been my childhood sweetheart, kind and caring.

After our engagement, he had spoiled me rotten.

But after that woman appeared, everything changed.

Peter grew distant, and even Ethan started avoiding me.

To appease Tiffany, he’d done the most foolish things.

Just because another company’s name was the same as Tiffany’s dog’s, he’d ruined them, bringing this disaster upon us!

I knelt desperately in the snow, begging, “Peter, please! Just send someone to my house to check, please!”

“Even if you want to break off the engagement, please!”

I was almost completely hopeless.

I prayed silently, praying that Peter would have a shred of decency.

That he would, for the sake of our past, save my mom.

The butler, who had watched me grow up, finally took pity.

“Master Peter, please take someone to check. Miss Lily wouldn’t lie about something like this.”

Peter hesitated. I seized the opportunity, kowtowing repeatedly.

My forehead hit the icy ground with a thud.

“Please, please, save my mom!”

Peter finally spoke, his voice still cold, “I’ll take someone to look.”

“But, Lily Woods, if this is all a charade, you’ll pay the price.”

I looked up sharply, a flicker of hope in my eyes.

No matter what, he was willing to go!

He called over some security guards, and then his phone rang.

It was Ethan.

Peter glanced at me and put the call on speaker.

Ethan’s lazy, indifferent voice came through the speaker, “Lily hasn’t gone to you, has she? Don’t listen to her, someone just used Mom’s phone to threaten me, it’s ridiculous.”

I felt like I’d been plunged into icy water.

I couldn’t believe that my brother, who once promised to protect me, could be so cold.

For a woman, he disregarded our mother’s safety, ignoring my pleas.

Rage and fear mixed, I yelled into the phone, “Ethan Woods! Are you insane?! Do you have to wait until we’re dead to believe us?! You saw what they did to Mom and me!”

He sneered, “That was just your way of trying to seize control!”

“I talked to Mrs. Robinson, everything’s fine at home.”

“You’re vicious and cruel, I won’t fall for your tricks again!”

“If anything happens to Mom, it’s your own fault!”

My heart sank completely.

Mrs. Robinson had gone home a week ago, how could she possibly know what was happening at home?!

I was about to retort when the line went dead.

Peter’s face darkened, he glared at me with disgust.

“You were lying! Someone, break her legs, teach her a lesson!!”

The guards moved, about to grab me.

I endured the pain in my legs and shouted, “You dare! When my dad gets back, I won’t let you get away with this!”

The guards hesitated, looking at each other.

Peter sneered, picked up a baseball bat, and walked towards me.

He looked down at me, his eyes filled with mockery and contempt.

“They might not dare, but I do.”

I looked at him in despair, our past affection a distant, fading dream.

I couldn’t believe he would do this to me.

I shrank back in fear, but he kicked me to the ground.

A sharp pain shot through my abdomen. Before I could recover, he brought the bat down hard on my already injured left leg.

“Ah!”

I screamed, my body trembling violently, the excruciating pain almost making me pass out.

He just stood there, coldly.

“That’s what you get for lying to me.”

Just then, my phone rang.

He bent down and picked it up, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

“Let’s see who this is.”

“Hello, is this Miss Woods, the one who reported the break-in?”

“We’ve arrived at your home. The intruders escaped during a struggle. Your mother is in critical condition and needs immediate medical attention.”